How to Recognize and Handle Students In Distress: A Guide for Faculty

This document was adapted from a faculty handout prepared by Arizona State University, with prior permission.

The college years can be times of discovery and excitement, and those of us who work with students strive to incorporate these elements in our teaching. At the same time, the personal and intellectual development that students experience in their college years can be stressful. They leave the security of home, may experience loves and losses, or suffer from alcohol abuse, sexual assault, family problems, and deaths of loved ones.

Students - or anyone for that matter - can experience a crisis if stress exceeds their coping resources. Most crises can be resolved successfully within a few weeks, but some cannot. Although some crises may escalate and place affected individuals in precarious, even dangerous situations other crises can present students with opportunities for significant personal growth, especially when help is provided.

As a faculty member, you can assist students in avoiding dangerous situations and refer them to appropriate sources of help. The information on these pages may provide you with some guidance in this process.

What to Look For

Academic Indicators

• Deterioration in quality of work
• A drop in grades
• A negative change in classroom performance
• Continual seeking of special accommodations (late papers, extensions, postponed examinations, and the like)
• Missed assignments
• Repeated absences from class
• Disorganized or erratic performance
• Essays or creative work that indicate extremes of hopelessness, social isolation, rage, or despair

Personal/Interpersonal Indicators

• Tearfulness
• Excessive dependency
• Expressions of concern about a student in the class by his/her peers
• Direct statements indicating distress, family problems, or other difficulties
• Unprovoked anger or hostility
• Expressions of hopelessness or worthlessness
• A hunch or gut-level reaction that something is wrong
• Exaggerated personality traits (e.g., more withdrawn or more animated than usual)

Physical Indicators

• Deterioration in physical appearance
• Lack of personal hygiene
• Coming to class bleary-eyed, hung over, or smelling of alcohol
• Visible changes in weight
• Excessive fatigue
• Appearing sick or ill

Safety/Risk Indicators

• Deterioration in physical appearance
• Any written note or verbal statement that has a sense of finality or a
  suicidal flavor to it
• Severe depression
• Giving away of prized possessions
• Any other behavior that seems out of control
• Statements to the effect that the student is "going away for a long time”
• Any history of suicidal thoughts or attempts
• Self-injurious or self-destructive behaviors
• Essays or papers that focus on despair, suicide, or death

Issues to Consider

Avoid making sweeping promises of confidentiality, particularly if a student represents a safety risk to him- or herself or others. Students who may be a danger to themselves or others need swift professional intervention, and assurances of absolute confidentiality may get in the way. It is acceptable to stay "in role" as a faculty member. You do not have to take on the role of counselor.

In challenging situations, always consult. Consultation may start within your department, as well as involving one of the various University resources found in the site.